Project hoped to save Hoi An’s coast from erosion

Hanoi (VNA) – The central province of Quang Nam is
expected to carry out a project on preventing erosion and sustainably protecting
the coast of Hoi An city, which is facing serious beach erosion in recent
years.

The project’s funding is set to be loaned by the French
Development Agency (AFD).

The Prime Minister has permitted the provincial People’s Committee
to compile a report suggesting an investment policy for the project. This policy
must be approved by authorised agencies before it is implemented.

Hoi An is home to
7 kilometres of coastline.

According to the
city’s latest report, 20 hectares of the city’s Cua Dai beach was washed away
between 2009 and 2014.

Many experts said sand overexploitation, deforestation and natural disasters
have led to increasingly serious erosion in many coastal areas of Vietnam.

Others blamed the
erosion on the construction of resorts and the lack of proper environmental
assessments before dredging occurred in Cua Dai beach area.

Chairman of the
Hoi An People’s Committee Nguyen Van Dung used to say that they spent
over 80 billion VND (3.6 million USD) on building sea dykes or temporary
embankments with bamboo and sandbags, as well as the Geotube sandbag, but it’s
still in vain.-VNA